Anybody know anything about this '29 roadster pickup from northern California? It was featered in an early '60's Hot Rod, a small format mag onModel A's, and in a R&C feature on building it as a Monogram model. Is it still around? Thanks....
Arnold Avila's roadster wasn't a northern Ca. car. It was built in Baldwin Park, So Cal in the late 50's Arnold and his dad built it in their home garage. Was first built with a 348 W motor, but kept tearing up the drive line, so it was replaced with the SBC. The car was was an exceptional build for the time. Used to see it in the spectator lot at the old San Gabriel drag strip in the early 60's. My friend helped Arnold work on the car when it was built. I'll ask if he knows what happened to it.
You must have posted the wrong photo's...Because the ones you have posted are not a 29 but rather a model T.
Look real close. That's for sure a '28/'29 cowl...and the rest of the cab looks the same. The radiator, T cowl lights, cut down bed, and top are probably throwing you off.
Thanks Dean - I've always admired this pickup. i think this would be fairly easy to duplicate, or build a model at least. I'd love to think it is still around.
I just thought I would kick this back to the top to see if anybody had any info on the fate of Arnold Avila's A-pickup? Considering all the excitement of finding a Dan Woods T-bucket, finding this one would be cool too. Anybody?
I'm building a model of this car, based on the instructions in R&C Models and the available photos. So far I've determined it had a wheelbase of about 80 inches(!), no fan, and obviously no front brakes. I can't tell if the frame was Z'd, and with that short of a wheelbase, split wishbones, no front shocks, and inverted steering, it must have bump-steered like crazy. I'm sure it hauled buns however, but I can't believe you would ever have a need to open all eight barrels on the carbs. Woof!
I'm not seeing a reason why it would bump steer, but the beneath photo shows quite a driveshaft angle change, a bit more than 3*.
The severe drive shaft angle was a big contributor to the U joint failures. Like the night in '62 when Arnold was racing a new 409 Biscayne up Rivergrade Road. Arnold had about 3 lengths on the guy when the drive shaft exited the car and bounced right through the Chevy's radiator!!
Hi Dean - well, that's one way to beat the competition! You just have to be able to push the A-bucket faster than the other guy can push his Biscayne. To reply to the bumpsteer question - as the axle moves up and down in an arc, say over a driveway, the center of the arc is fixed by the end of the split wishbone. As the axle moves, it will push or pull the draglink, which moves the pittman arm, which rotates the steering column and wheel. I'm no expert in suspensions, but there is a good diagram in the Pete and Jakes catalog and the SoCal catalog. With no front shock absorbers and the short wheelbase, my guess is that the spring transmitted every bump in the road. Obviously, it was built for speed, not for comfort. Still, it's a killer looking rod.
<<<To reply to the bumpsteer question - as the axle moves up and down in an arc, say over a driveway, the center of the arc is fixed by the end of the split wishbone. As the axle moves, it will push or pull the draglink, which moves the pittman arm, which rotates the steering column and wheel. I'm no expert in suspensions>>> Actually, it's the other way around. As the steering wheel rotates, it turns the MAST, which rolls the sector, which turns the pitman arm, which pushes/pulls on the drag link, which rotates the spindle on the kingpin axis, which is affixed to a sprung axle, located by hopefully sufficiently rigid wishbones, or 'hairpins'. (or some 4-bar kit) Wheelbase is longer than 80". (!)
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